


Bloody Knuckles and Broken Boys

by blake17



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternative Season 3, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Gen, Idk what I’m doing, M/M, Post Season 2, Slow Burn, Stay With Me Guys, missings scenes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-07-28 12:00:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20063668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blake17/pseuds/blake17
Summary: Steve isn’t adjusting to his break up with Nancy very well and begins a habit of letting out his feelings to an unexpected person.





	Bloody Knuckles and Broken Boys

**Author's Note:**

> Begins the night of the Snow Ball and will continue on through some of the events of S3.

The past six weeks have been peaceful in the sense that Steve hasn’t had to fight for his life against hell creatures from another dimension. Dealing with the upcoming semester exams were a completely different matter and at this point, Steve might prefer to see a demo dog than do another book report. Nancy had been doing her best to try to help but honestly, Steve knew he wasn't the smartest guy. It didn't make it easier when she had Jonathan Byers following her around all the time. The cherry on top was just how damn nice Byers was. They’d almost become friends in the year after Will came back and he knew that Jonathan wasn’t the type of dude to get with Nancy just to spite him. It wasn’t easy to find reasons to hate him. Besides he saw the way they behaved around each other and despite how much he wished otherwise, he and Nancy had never been like THAT. He knew that he should move on. He had to move on. It was just taking him longer than expected, longer than Nancy had taken at the very least.

Steve also realized how few friends he had and how boring they had all been. Now he was hanging around 13-year-olds and honestly they were much more fun than anyone he’d hung out with in the past 3 years. So here he was, former King of Hawkins High, chaperoning Dustin Henderson to a middle school dance on a Saturday night. He wants to feel disappointed by it but how else was he going to spend his night? Chill with Tommy and Carol? Or worse, wallow in his empty house? No thank you. He doesn't think he can do that right now, but he can hype Dustin up for this dance. It's nice seeing him gain a bit of confidence right in front of his eyes but then he catches sight of Nancy inside the gym and he feels a cold weight settle in the pit of his stomach. He still catches himself hoping that she'll reconsider her choice and take him back. If he's being honest, he always feels guilty after thinking that. She looks so much happier with Byers.

He has to leave.

He drives too fast through the school parking lot and goes to the first place he can think of that's hopefully void of people. Steve's pulling the sack he keeps in his glove compartment out before he even reaches the clearing. He'd smoked before, at parties and with friends but more often since he's become involved in weird government cover-ups. Could you blame him for needing a bit of a stress reliever? It may even be becoming a habit in these recent weeks, something that may or may not have to do with Nancy Wheeler. Steve's too busy trying to assess his baggie that he almost doesn't see the car parked right on the edge of the junkyard. He has to swerve, only barely missing the vehicle. Steve swears as he comes to a halting stop beside it. He's about to leave but then recognizes the car. There's no one in it. He pulls up a bit and sure enough, Billy Hargrove is sitting on the front hood of his Camaro. For a long moment, he just sits in his car and stares. He's not sure why but he turns off his engine and steps out. The air bites but he needs to clear his head.

"Funny seeing you here, Harrington." Billy's smiling and truthfully Steve isn't sure that it isn't meant to be malicious. "You come here often?"

"Yeah, there's something about rusty cars that vibes with me." Steve sees that Billy has a joint pre-rolled and lit. "Wanna share and I'll roll another after?" The blond shrugs but passes it after he takes a hit. He knows he doesn’t have to be nice to Hargrove but awkward silence isn't exactly better. "You just drop off Max?" He pulls in a drag. The sweet smoke burns in his lungs and he loves it. He holds it for a few seconds and then releases it slowly, enjoying the taste it leaves in his mouth.

"Yep. Didn't want to go home and do nothing so here I am." It's his turn for a drag. "And you?"

"Same. I dropped off Dustin and didn't want to go home." That isn't exactly what Billy said but it kind of was, wasn't it? A breeze sweeps through the clearing making the boys shiver.

"Fuck, it's freezing." Steve laughs. Billy's wearing a jacket but his blue button-up is half undone. Its fucking December. Surely he’d start dressing properly at some point. He's more accustomed to this weather than Billy seems to be and it's even getting to him.

"We could sit in your car?" Billy eyes him, a dangerous smirk appearing on his lips.

"Trying to make a move on me Harrington?" Steve feels his cheeks burn suddenly realizing how that must have sounded. He knew how the kids from school used this place.

"You know that's not what I meant." The other boy laughs at his quick response.

"Don't get your panties in a twist, pretty boy." He takes the blunt back, face edging towards a little more serious. "We can't. My dad would kill me if he smelled pot in my car." Steve almost suggests his car but quickly decides against it. He doesn’t want Hargrove making any more jokes.

"I have an idea." He hops off his car and motions for Billy to follow. The other boy raises a brow but eventually listens. Steve leads them to an old school bus near the center of the clearing. He pulls the door open and ushers Billy inside. It's empty save a few seats turned to face each other in the middle and some junk thrown into corners. Billy gives Steve a look of distaste. "Small town wonders." It's dusty and still cold but there's no breeze. Billy takes a seat and Steve takes the one across from him. There’s enough light coming in from the emergency exit above that Steve can begin a new joint while Billy finishes the last. The smoke is already making the small space hazy. The buzz is warm beneath Steve’s skin. He can only assume it’s affecting Billy too. He doesn’t have a stupid grin on his face like Steve but he seems looser, more relaxed than normal.

“Lighter?”

“You came out here without a lighter?” Steve rolls his eyes.

“I have one. I just left it in my car and I don’t wanna go back for it.” Billy huffs like it’s really difficult to reach into his pocket and pull his Zippo out. He flicks it on and puts his hand out so Steve can lean forward to light it. He inhales once, twice and then blows the smoke into Billy’s face after he passes it.

“Watch yourself, Princess,” Billy tells him, eyes bright and glazed over. He looks stoned already. Steve takes the warning serious despite the smile Billy’s currently wearing. He really could never tell what’s going on in Hargrove’s head. “You know, you strike me as a sad smoker, Harrington.”

“What do you mean,” Steve asks.

“You had a shitty day so you’re here to let Mary Jane make you feel better. You strike out with a girl?” It’s worse than that. Steve hasn’t been out of the game that long. He knows what Hargrove’s trying to do. He doesn’t need to be sized up; he knows his time at the top of the social ladder is over. He's almost not upset by that fact.

“Not exactly.” Steve may not be able to read Billy but Billy can sure read Steve. The blond boy gives a rumbling chuckle, it sounds completely unkind.

“Please tell me this isn’t about Wheeler.” Steve doesn’t respond but that’s confirmation enough. “Dude, didn’t you guys break up like the week after Halloween? She’s seeing that weird kid, uh Byers?” Billy seems very amused by all the new information that Steve isn’t even telling him.

“You know you’re kind of a douche right?” 

“At least I’m not a dumbass who’s hung up on some girl who cheated on him.”

“She didn’t-we weren’t-it’s not…” Steve’s having a difficult time putting it into words himself. Of course, Billy finds his broken explanation hilarious. “It wasn’t like that.” He settles on that and takes an extra deep inhale on his pass. He ends up coughing a little too long afterward. “I rather not talk about it. It’s your turn.” Billy frowns.

“My turn to what?”

”We’ve gotten to talk about my shitty love life so it's your turn now.”

”I'm not doing jack you say, Harrington.” He seems maybe a little more aggressive than is strictly necessary. There's the Hargrove he got very familiar with last month.

”Come in it's only fair. Besides anything that is said on the bus, stays on the bus.” Steve waves his arms around a bit as Billy looks at him doubtfully. ”Hallowed Ground, ” the brunette whispered with a wink. The blond stays quiet for a little too long and Steve worries he's just gonna get up and leave him out here alone.

”You're a weird dude, Harrington.” It's quiet but there's an edge of humor that lets Steve relax.

”You're going to have to be meaner than that Hargrove, I hang out with 13-year-olds, they're fucking brutal.” That gets Steve a whole chuckle.

”I can't think of anything right now. Just ask me something and I'll think about answering.” Steve wasn't expecting that.

”Are you dating anyone right now?” Now its more than a chuckle.

”You trying to ask me out?”

”Fuck off.”

”I'm single and ready to do more than mingle.”

”I thought you'd be with someone by now. Every girl in town has been throwing themselves at you.”

”Jealous, pretty boy?” He wiggles his eyebrows. Steve finds himself feeling more honest than he should be.

”No, but maybe I would have been last year. I was kind of a tool but I've been working on it.”

”You're still a tool amigo.” Steve just sighs, knows he can't win all these.

”Is there a reason? Are girls just hotter in California?”

”I'm picky, ” he shrugs and it doesn't sound like a lie. Their joints running pretty low and Steve knows he's feeling it now. He gets comfortable on the shitty bus seat.

”What's your type?"

”What's YOUR type? You've asked too many questions.” Steve hadn't understood just how high he was until he began speaking again.

"I guess girls like Nancy."

"Ice princesses?"

"You hear that from Tommy and Carol?" Steve isn't sure why he keeps talking. "She's just not like them. They said she was frigid but she just didn't want to make out in front of people. She didn't need people to know who she was dating. They didn't like her "goodie-two-shoes" act but she was just like that. She wanted to get good grades and follow the rules. She wasn't like other girls who just did whatever their boyfriends said. She'd fight with me and never back down. She's fucking amazing." Billy's staring at him from his seat. He raises a brow and pats Steve's leg.

"Dude, you need to get laid."

"She also knew how to use a gun and that was pretty hot." They both laugh for a long time. It feels nice. "You've laid off since that night at Byers' house. Why?" There's a long pause where it seems that Billy might be deciding whether to answer or not.

"You were kind of passed out at the time-,"

"Gee, I wonder why," Steve cuts in, half kidding.

"It's not my fault you can't fight," Billy shrugs. "Max threatened to castrate me with some hell bat and she sort of has the ability to make my life a living hell at home so I laid off." Steve thought about that for a second.

"Good for her." Billy glares, Steve can see the humor leave his eyes. "What? You're a huge dick to her." Now he looks a lot more like the guy Steve remembers from Byers' house and it makes him nervous.

"Yeah and that little bitch has ruined my life a few times already, including forcing me to move to this dumbass town full of dumbass people." He's one of those dumbass people.

"I thought she didn't want to move here either."

"And yet she has her little friends already. Her little _boyfriend_." It's a lot for Steve right now to follow.

"You really have something against Lucas?"

"I don't give a fuck about him. It doesn't have anything to do with him." He's almost yelling now. 

"So what? You're mad that she's making friends?" Hargrove stands and his next words are quiet with anger.

"What do you know Harrington?" He pushes past Steve to get off the bus. All the pulsing energy exits with him, leaving Steve in the cold, hollow bus. He settles back against the seat and lets out a long sigh.

"I'm too high for this."


End file.
